With a penchant for the big inning, St. Scholastica (32-4) delivered three times in their 20-7 win over Bethany Lutheran College (22-14) at the 2008 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference championship finale that netted them their 12^th consecutive postseason league title.

 

An early 3-0 lead turned quickly into an 8-0 score in the fourth as the Saints sent 10 batters to the plate and registered six hits, all singles, to extend their lead.

 

Again in the sixth and once more in the eighth the St. Scholastica bats pushed runners around the bases to the tune of 11 more runs.

 

Starting Saints pitcher Adian Kummet (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS) allowed base runners in each of his first three innings on the mound but kept the Vikings off the scoreboard until a four-run fourth – keyed by a Tyler Carlson 2-run home run – cut the St. Scholastica lead in half.

 

The Saints answered back with six in the sixth and reliever Dan Lanari (Virginia, Minn./Mt. Iron-Buhl HS) quieted the Vikings bats until they broke through for three in the seventh, but by then the outcome looked fairly certain to be already decided. St. Scholastica's Matt Lewis (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) closed out the bottom of the ninth with a three-up, three-down inning including a game-ending strikeout.

 

Shortstop Kyle Wojtysiak (Proctor, Minn./Proctor HS) had his best game of the tournament for the Saints with a 5-for-6 outing that included four RBI and two runs scored. Also pounding out the hits were Darrin Carlson (Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown HS) with four and both Sean Claugherty (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) and Mike Lewis (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) with three apiece.

 

Kummet picked up the win to move to 7-2 on the year allowing four earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out six in four and two-thirds innings.

 

Bethany's Trevor Vaubel (2-3) took the loss giving up seven earned runs in three and two-thirds innings, walking two and striking out three.

 

With the end of the regular season and conference tournament, the 21^st-ranked Saints now must wait for the call that has come late Sunday night each of the past three years, the one from the NCAA Tournament committee extending a bid to their national tournament beginning next weekend.

 

All-Tournament Team: Sean Claugherty (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan HS) (MVP), Steve Kraushaar (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS), Steve Gerten (West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS), Blake Eller (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd HS), Brian Marshik (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS ) – St. Scholastica; Pete Harstad, Justin Schweke, Alex Smith, Ashton Dorris – Bethany Lutheran; Cody Carroll – Northland College.

 

**SAINTS**